The Crime of Photography Parts Five and Six

For those keeping score, in recent months we’ve learned that you can’t take photos of cops in Miami, or public art in Indianapolis, or possibly with a tripod on the streets of New York.  And if you discover a dead body while taking pictures in New Jersey, you might want to think twice about calling the police, and, of course, you should be careful what pictures you take of your children.

Last week, two more crimes of photography were added to the growing list: one in Little Rock, AK, and the other in Landover, MD.

USA Today photographer Eileen Blass reported last week about how her camera gear shut down the Little Rock airport for a half hour when her lighting gear was suspected to be a bomb. The next day, The Washington Post reported that college student Reza Michael Farhoodi was removed from his seat FedEx Stadium during a Washington Redskins game and questioned for taking shots of the game and his friends with his DSLR. He was told that “professional” cameras were not permitted without press credentials, even though he had made it past security with the camera several times and all of the printed rules make no distinction between a “professional” and “amateur” camera. Lucky for Farhoodi, the stadium management quickly got wind of the error and offered him special access to take photos from the field during the next game.

It’s one thing when a photographer is questioned legitimately in the name of security—Blass and the other passengers in Little Rock weren’t too annoyed with the authorities’ confusing lights and wires with bombs. But when power is abused, or misunderstood, and you can’t take pictures of your children running though the sprinkler, your friends at a baseball game, or your vacation in a major city, you start to wonder, when did it become a crime own a camera?
—Kathleen Davis
Assistant Editor

Comments

[B. Meinhof]

Photographers world wide should view this excellent piece of investigative journalism as a rallying cry.

For too long now anti-terrorism laws and "common sense" have been used by fascist bully-boys to repress our artistic freedoms.

We need to unite and put political pressure on these "authorities" and let them know that we will no longer stand for the accusations that we are perverts, terrorists and criminals that all of us that love photography face on a daily basis.

We need to use this blog posting as the first building block in our manifesto.

All lifelong lovers of the art of photography like the poster of this piece and myself need to unite. The struggle begins here, we are not criminals, our art will save the world.

[Sadie]

Why do the authorities think it needed to stop us, when there are false, rude, and dangerous pictures on magazine covers everywhere?

[Trap]

A typical liberal way to respond when you have no legitimate argument,name calling.Good job B.And a message to Pop Photo: Please stay out of politics.

[B. Meinhof]

Trap. I assume you are just another. borgeois republican drone, fooled by their propoganda.

Pop Photo and Kathleen Davis should be applauded for being the first to finally take this stance. Some might call it student politics, but this post highlights real crimes. Human rights crimes perpetrated by the establishment.

Remember "When they came for the liberal photographers I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a liberal photographer..."

[B. Meinhof]

Sadie. All art is art and photography is the most glorious of art. Pictures can only ever be dangerous to the authorities and their drones. If you are not a drone there is no danger to you. You should join us. We can change this world.

[Trap]

Again with the name calling B.? Since I have been away from my computer for a few days I missed your cheap shots until now. Let me explain something to you. I am nearly 60 years old and quite capable of thinking for myself.Winston Churchill once said something like "If you are 20 years old and not a liberal you have no heart,if you are 40 years old and not a conservative you have no brain." Would you look at him as another republican drone who couldn't think for himself? You're professors have taught you well to think like them.You get an "A".It would be nice if we could continue this after you grow up.Hows that for a cheap shot?

[Trap]

A P.S. to B.. You still have no argument, only "talking points" on why you hate everyone who doesn't think like you.

[Trap]

A P.S. to B.. You still have no argument, only "talking points" on why you hate everyone who doesn't think like you.

[B. Meinhof]

Trap, I write about real fundamental human rights and you quote one of the greatest war criminals this world has ever seen. I am eighty years old and saw my family burned to death by this overweight sabre rattler at Dresden. Churchill was English imperilistic scum.
If you believe otherwise you only prove to me that you are a republican drone, beliveing their lies.

I call on all true life long lovers of photgraphy like Kathleen Davis and the Pop Photo staff to join me. Make our voices heard. We need to shout, scream and then if they refuse to hear us go further.

"They can take our lives.....But they'll never take our freedom.....to take pictures of stuff."

[Baader Meinhof]

Why the two times post Trap? Because you are old, have no arguement and a republican drone lover of war crimes?

Art will save the world, and photography is the most pure and glorious of art. God bless Kathleen Davis and her political stance on behalf of Pop Photo and Photo artists everywhere.

FREEEEDOM!

[Trap]

The double post was because I clicked on the wrong button. Nothing more nothing less.Do you always see things that aren't there? Is that FREEEEDOM for all to think as they wish or just freedom for those who think like you. Eighty years old and still have to call people names to get attention. Shame on you.Don't bother reacting to this because I won't be reading back this far anymore and I've grown tired of your drivel. Imagine,80 years old.....

[Trap]

P.S. I'm sure you're professors will get a kick out of this as well as the other students.

[Marc]

Thanks for standing up for photographers everywhere. Keep up the good work!

[Baader Meinhof]

I agree with you and the blog post you have discreetly linked to this posting Marc. In a world where phtography blogs are a ten a penny mish-mash of tips and links culled by "writers" that sit around all day on the internet looking for things to plagarise or even worse spend their days re-writing press releases for products they ill understand (but they at least get to take home for free sometimes), it's refreshing to see true journalists and good people like Kathleen Davis et al exploit a mainstream press outlet to put forward their own important political views.

May she never be silenced while doing her important work, and may we hear more and more from her in other better publications in the future.